Relay work lifts Lady Hornets to second at home-opening meet

The 200-yard relay team of Lara Kockaya, Kayla Vaughan, Ella Reynolds and Jessica Butler combined on a 1:48.18 clocking to edge Conway’s quartet (1:48.37) for first place in the Bryant Lady Hornets’ initial swimming and diving meet of the season at the Bishop Park Aquatic Center on Thursday.

The effort was the lone first-place finish for the Lady Hornets who garnered enough success beyond that to finish a strong second in the team competition with 375 points. Cabot won the team title with 441 points while the Lady Hornets edged Conway (342) and Benton (221.5) in the 10-team meet.

Also scoring in the 200 free relay for Bryant were two other groups. Dayanne Maldonado, Hailey Addison, Jasmine Snell and Leela Hoerschelmann took seventh in a time of 2:06.75 with the team of Sara Weber, Charlotte Bryant, Erica Legate and Lucie Van Roekel took 11th in 1:38.74.

Weber picked up a second-place finish in the 1-meter dive, earning a score of 130.85 to finish right behind Conway’s Anna Harris (204.75). Bryant’s Jaden Heath was sixth with a score of 78.65.

Reynolds was also second for the Lady Hornets, finishing the 50-yard freestyle in 26.80, just behind Pulaski Academy’s Allison Taylor (25.37). Kockaya was fifth in 27.57 with Butler sixth in 27.62 and Weber 14th in 31.93.

For fourth-place points, Taylor Wilson turned in a 6:30 in the 500-yard freestyle. Hannah Tennison was sixth in 6:43.10 with Helen Woodham ninth in 6:59.61 and Taylor Vaughn 11th in 8:19.83.

In addition, the team of Reynolds, Erin Vaughn, Tennison and Wilson captured fourth-place points in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 4:23.93.

Wilson, Kockaya, Butler and Vaughan were fifth in the 200 medley relay, touching at the 2:07.10 mark. The team of Hoerschelmann, Addison, Erin Vaughn and Taylor Vaughn was eighth with a time of 2:18.71.

Butler picked up an individual fifth place in the 100 free, turning in a 1:01.60. Vaughan was seventh in 1:03.29.

Wilson, Maldonado and Kockaya each had sixth-place finishes. Wilson’s came in the 200 free with a time of 2:31.13. Woodham was eighth in 2:40.64 and Taylor Vaughn was 10th in 2:51.81.

Maldonado’s sixth came in the 100 butterfly. She turned in a 1:14.20 with Erin Vaughn seventh in 1:15.27, Addison 10th (1:18.35) and Snell 11th (1:24.46).

Kockaya’s 1:19.56 was sixth best in the 100 breast stroke. Addison was ninth in 1:27.97 and Snell 16th in 1:40.20.

Three Bryant swimmers scored in the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke. In the backstroke, Hoerschelmann led the contingent with a ninth-place finish in 1:18.38. Reynolds was 11th (1:21.87) and Legate 15th (1:38.74).

In the IM, Vaughan’s 2:47.29 was good for 10th with Erin Vaughn 13th (2:56.24) and Hoerschelmann 14th (2:56.25).

The Lady Hornets will return to competition on Thursday, Nov. 16, at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.